New York bombing ‘inspired by Islamic State’

A man with a pipe bomb strapped to his chest caused chaos in New York after the device went off in a crowded subway tunnel near Times Square.

The bomb exploded during morning rush-hour, at around 7.30am US time, in a busy passageway linking two subways underneath Port Authority terminal – the nation's largest bus hub.

Police believe that the bomb – described by police as a "low-tech device" – went off prematurely between Seventh and Eighth Avenues on 42nd Street and could have been intended for a busier destination.

Armed police and fire crews reacted in force, with all trains from 42nd Street diverted and roads closed to traffic.

Video:The moment the New York bomb went off

The suspect has been named as Akayed Ullah, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi man who is believed to have lived in the US for seven years, and was reportedly based in Brooklyn.

He has been arrested and is now in hospital with non-life threatening burns to his abdomen and hands.

Police, who have labelled it an attempted terror attack, say Ullah was inspired by the Islamic State, but had apparently not had any direct contact with the terror group.